"Maybe we could plan not to have overtime," said Councilor Jack Thorsen, when the council was asked to approve $32,000 in grants secured by police officials.

One grant is for $6,864 and will fund two sobriety checkpoints this summer. According to city records, the money will pay for eight officers to work six hours, at one or both of the checkpoints, at their time-and-a-half overtime rate.

A second grant, also for $6,864, is approved for "DWI/DUI patrols," which involve officers in cruisers looking for drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol. According to the approval letter for that grant, that money will pay for 24 patrols, consisting of an officer working four hours a patrol, on weekends and holidays, at their overtime rate.

A third grant, for $5,148, would pay officers at their time-and-a-half rate to work four-hour shifts for pedestrian patrols, with attention given to high-visibility crosswalks, according to the notification to the city. That notice also states it's anticipated that for each four-hour patrol conducted, two pedestrians will be issued summonses and four others will be issued warnings.

Police were awarded a $5,148 grant for red light patrols that would consist of eight patrols, with officers working four-hour shifts at the overtime rate.

Police were also awarded a $5,148 grant for "enforcement patrols," which would include officers looking for speeding cars and to ensure children are properly secured in car seats. That money would fund 18 patrols in four-hour shifts and the officers would be paid time and a half.

A $2,808 grant would fund a seat belt enforcement program consisting of officers working alone in six-hour shifts, or three-hour shifts in "two-man" cruisers. According to the grant notification, "there will be an increase in the number of summonses issued."

Thorsen said during Monday's council meeting that he understands the need to pay overtime for unexpected events that require police attention, but asked the chief why the overtime for these patrols is preplanned.

DuBois said his officers work 40-hour weeks and the patrols would be work "above and beyond" their normal schedules, to allow them to focus on the specific tasks.

"It's dedicated time," said the chief, who elaborated that during their regular work hours, officers are answering multiple calls.

The grant programs, he explained, allow them to be "focused solely" on the specific enforcement efforts, "not being wrapped up in reports for four hours."

After the explanation from the police chief, the City Council unanimously approved acceptance of the federal grants, paid through the state Highway Safety Agency.

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